Radford University
Picturing Lines
Slopes are everywhere—even in houses! Given a picture of a house, learners find lines with positive, negative, zero, and no slopes. Scholars determine the equation of the lines by calculating the slopes and y-intercepts. Class members...
Radford University
Parallelogram Task
These floors were made for learning. Pupils use coordinate planes drawn on the classroom floor using tape to investigate parallelograms. They measure lengths, angles, and slopes to identify properties of parallelograms.
Radford University
Finding Slope
The class takes a trip about the school and find four places to measure the rise and run of objects that represent slope in the building. Pairs work together to calculate the slope of each object and determine whether any ramp they find...
Radford University
Staircases and Ramps
Ramp up the study of slope. The class participates in a discussion about the physical aspects of stairs and ramps they encounter. Small groups work together and measure a staircase and corresponding ramp to calculate the slope of each....
Radford University
Calculating the Cost: Algebraic Planning for a First Car
Scholars decide which job to take based on the pay. They then research cars to potentially purchase and determine the total cost of the car. Finally, they calculate how long they would have to work to purchase the car along with how much...
Radford University
Plumbing Task
Make sure it flows smoothly. Pairs research plumbing codes to find the required slope for a sewer line. Using the information, groups answer several questions involving interpreting the slope. Pupils determine the cost of pipe to run a...
Radford University
Create A Ramp Design
Ramp up a design challenge. Class members design ramps to meet a client's requirements to comply with the American with Disabilities Act. The scholars create a scaled graph of their designs and determine the equations of the lines on...
Radford University
Linear Equations in Real Word Problems
Make up a story about a linear graph. Scholars identify key features of a linear graph, such as intercepts, domain and range, and slope. They then create a word problem that could be represented by the graphed line.
Radford University
Ancient Aqueduct Analysis Project
Let the class' knowledge of geometry flow like water in an aqueduct. Future mathematicians research ancient Roman aqueducts and consider the geometric concepts necessary in their construction. They then use GeoGebra to create models of...
Radford University
Parallel Lines Task
Transform the classroom into a coordinate plane. Scholars walk along parallel lines drawn on a coordinate plane on the classroom floor. They measure angles and slopes and use the results to develop criteria that would make the lines...
Radford University
Google Earth Trip
Travel the world instantly—and learn about math along the way. Using pictures of famous places taken from Google Earth, scholars look for parallel and perpendicular lines based on slope and angle measurements. They also calculate...
Radford University
Building Your Own Home
Building a home means mastering math. Scholars apply various math topics to situations associated with the construction of a home. They consider the volume of concrete needed for a foundation, the perimeter and area of
blueprints, the...
Radford University
Buying A Car
What is my monthly payment? Scholars research to find the perfect car for them to buy. Using the cost of the car, they determine a down payment and the amount of monthly payments using a zero interest loan. Finally, they investigate what...
Radford University
Got Slope?
Go around and around with slope. The class investigates tornadoes by watching videos, building a homemade tornado, and performing research on the Storm Prediction Center website. Groups gather data and create scatter plots for twisters...
Radford University
Ramp It Up
Pupils gather measurements of real-world objects that have slopes. They then plot the measurements and find an equation of a line that fits the measurements. Finally, groups investigate the ADA and determine whether different ramps meet...
CK-12 Foundation
Comparison of Unit Rates: Drive Away
Five questions make up an interactive that challenges mathematicians to compare unit rates. Word problems question scholars about two friends going on a road trip. Scholars manipulate two cars on a coordinate plane to help solve word...
Concord Consortium
Shooting Arrows through a Hoop
The slope makes a difference. Given an equation of a circle and point, scholars determine the relationship of the slope of a line through the point and the number of intersections with the circle. After graphing the relationship, pupils...
Concord Consortium
Sine Solution
How many times can eager mathematicians catch the waves? Pupils find the solutions of three different trigonometric equations. They then determine the effect of the slope of a line that intersects a trigonometric function and the number...
Purdue University
Design of a Canal for a New Water Park in Lafayette
Erosion is no match for our canals. Learners first perform experiments to test the amount of erosion for different materials and different slopes. Based on the results, they design ditches or canals that carry water from one location to...
College Board
AP Calculus: Slope Fields
Ready to field questions about slope fields? An article on AP® Calculus teaching methods describes how to teach about slope fields to solve differential equations. It gives some sample problems to consider with the class and how to...
College Board
Beginning the Year with Local Linearity
Local linearity isn't the first thing that comes to mind to start off an AP® Calculus course. A scholarly article discusses one possible beginning to the AP® Calculus course: investigating and introducing derivatives through activities...
College Board
Reasoning from Tabular Data
Don't table the resource—use it now. An AP® Calculus curriculum module encourages the use of tabular data throughout the course. It provides some example topics, such as rate of change, net change, and average value of a function, where...
PHET
Graphing Lines
Ready to increase pupils' understanding of slope with an upward slope? Scholars use an interactive that allows users to move two points on a coordinate plane. The interactive then automatically calculates the slope, the slope-intercept...
College Board
2008 AP® Calculus BC Free-Response Questions
The AP® exam is not just about the calculations. By reviewing the free-response questions from 2008, teachers and pupils see that several items require justifications and explanations to gain full credit. The chief reader even points out...